The Mayo Clinic Interdisciplinary Women's Health Research (IWHR) Program is designed to be highly responsive to the Building Interdisciplinary Careers in Women's Health RFA-OD-09-006. Embedded in the design of our program are each of the Overarching Themes of the RFA, including interdisciplinary research in women's health, genetic, hormonal and environmental determinants of sex/gender differences, and health conditions disproportionately affecting women across their lifespan. A special strength of Mayo Clinic is the collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of our clinical, educational and research activities which form the core of our patient-centered institution. Thus, the theme of our IWHR program is Interdisciplinary Research. This theme is exemplified by the diversity of research topics and mentors, many of whom have established collaborations with other IWHR faculty and cross disciplines and departments. The scope of our program includes research training in basic and clinical sciences centered on the prevention and treatment of conditions or diseases 1) unique to women; 2) disproportionately impacting women; or 3) expressed differently in women compared to men. Within this scope lie our specific areas of research focus: autoimmunity, cardiovascular diseases, endocrine/metabolic, gastrointestinal, neuro/musculoskeletal, reproductive/gynecologic disorders, and pain management/quality of life/outcomes. Members of IWHR Program Faculty were selected for their existing collaborative research programs both within and outside of Mayo, the excellence and significance of their programs to advancing women's health, and their interest and success record as a mentor/educator in interdisciplinary research. IWHR scholars will benefit from a structured, mentored research training experience including a didactic program appropriate to their background and career goals. The broad scope and interdisciplinary nature of our IWHR program reflects the intra- and inter-disciplinary opportunities at Mayo and extends research in women's health beyond that which is currently represented at the other funded BIRCWH programs. Thus, the Mayo Clinic IWHR Program will help to sustain diversity and depth in women's health research for the Nation. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Not provided by the applicant